The Human Bcl-2 Family Member Bcl-rambo Localizes to Mitochondria and Induces Apoptosis and Morphological Aberrations in Drosophila

PLoS One. 2016 Jun 27;11(6):e0157823. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0157823. eCollection 2016.

Abstract

Bcl-2 family proteins play a central role in regulating apoptosis. We previously reported that human Bcl-rambo, also termed BCL2L13, localized to mitochondria and induced apoptosis when overexpressed in human embryonic kidney 293T cells. However, the physiological function of Bcl-rambo currently remains unclear. In the present study, human Bcl-rambo was ectopically expressed in Drosophila melanogaster. Bcl-rambo mainly localized to the mitochondria of Drosophila Schneider 2 (S2) cells. The overexpression of Bcl-rambo, but not Bcl-rambo lacking a C-terminal transmembrane domain, induced apoptosis in S2 cells. Moreover, the ectopic expression of Bcl-rambo by a GAL4-UAS system induced aberrant morphological changes characterized by atrophied wing, split thorax, and rough eye phenotypes. Bcl-rambo induced the activation of effector caspases in eye imaginal discs. The rough eye phenotype induced by Bcl-rambo was partly rescued by the co-expression of p35, Diap1, and Diap2. By using this Drosophila model, we showed that human Bcl-rambo interacted genetically with Drosophila homologues of adenine nucleotide translocators and the autophagy-related 8 protein. The results of the present study demonstrated that human Bcl-rambo localized to mitochondria and at least regulated an apoptosis signaling pathway in Drosophila.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Apoptosis*
  • Autophagy-Related Protein 8 Family / genetics
  • Cell Line
  • Drosophila Proteins / genetics
  • Drosophila Proteins / metabolism
  • Drosophila melanogaster / genetics*
  • Drosophila melanogaster / growth & development
  • Drosophila melanogaster / metabolism
  • Epistasis, Genetic
  • Humans
  • Inhibitor of Apoptosis Proteins / genetics
  • Inhibitor of Apoptosis Proteins / metabolism
  • Mitochondria / metabolism*
  • Mitochondrial ADP, ATP Translocases / genetics
  • Phenotype*
  • Protein Transport
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / genetics*
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / metabolism

Substances

  • Autophagy-Related Protein 8 Family
  • BCL2L13 protein, human
  • DIAP1 protein, Drosophila
  • DIAP2 protein, Drosophila
  • Drosophila Proteins
  • Inhibitor of Apoptosis Proteins
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2
  • Mitochondrial ADP, ATP Translocases

Grants and funding

This work was partly supported by a research grant from the NOVARTIS Foundation (Japan) for the Promotion of Science (to TK) and Grants-in-Aid from the Ministry of Education, Science, Sports and Culture of Japan, Japan Science and Technology Agency and JSPS Core-to-Core Program, B. Asia-Africa Science Platforms. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.